Our second annual “let’s get summer started” trip to Black Butte was fun, fun, fun. The 4 families got along great and the house we rent is just awesome. Next year I have to remember to take pictures of it. Go check out the pics.
Sam got his shot to be pitcher last night. Still can’t believe they are having 1st graders pitch! He did great. I posted a whole new crop of pictures on my photo website. You just gotta love the intense expressions on their faces while pitching. Go take a look 🙂
Is your garden cilantro taking off like mine? Cilantro can bloom out quick, so start harvesting. I plan on purchasing another start this week so I’ll have some to add to my tomatoes, onions and peppers later this summer. Bring on the salsa! But, until then, Jennifer turned me on to a great recipe for your cilantro, Thai Noodle Salad.
The salad is refreshing and has quickly become a favorite make-ahead meal for baseball nights. I was chowing down the other night and another spectator said, “Oh my. Look at her salad. It’s so pretty!” I couldn’t stop laughing. Maybe I’ll bring her a bowl to the next game!
You can use shrimp or chicken (rotisserie chicken works great as does baked and shredded chicken breast). It keeps well in the fridge for that night and the next. And, it’s pretty healthy. Yu-um. I’ve made it strict to the recipe and with some change ups as noted in (_). Both are fantastic.
Ingredients:
12 oz to 1lb package angel hair (or thin spaghetti) pasta
3 cups shredded napa cabbage (or hearts of romaine)
4 large carrots, shredded (or broccoli slaw)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (or just 3 reds)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds (skipped these)
8 ounces frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and
drained (or shredded, cooked chicken)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Break pasta into small pieces (thirds) and add to boiling water; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cabbage, carrots, green, red and yellow bell peppers, cilantro, onions, and shrimp.
2.
In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter, tahini, rice wine vinegar and sweet chile sauce. Season with soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Ten minutes before serving, toss the sauce with the cabbage mixture until evenly coated. Garnish with black sesame seeds.
It is amazing to me that I have a kid old enough for Outdoor School. Ben took off this morning for his first overnight camp. He’s ready. That feels good. He’s almost a 7th grader. That’s just crazy talk 🙂 Can’t quite wrap my brain around it. I’m sure every mother hits this wall of reality (probably many times). My babies really are going to grow up and leave the nest.
It could be said that after 7 hours of hiking and exploring the Ramona Falls area, any hot meal would taste phenomenal. However, I truly think I had my 2nd best Mexican meal ever at El Burro Loco in Welches this Memorial Day weekend. The atmosphere was great, the food was awesome and it’s a lot more convenient than my #1 Mexican restaurant, Red Mesa, in Florida 🙂
I highly recommend the enchiladas. We tried both the chicken and the pork with green sauce. My favorite was the chicken…amazing. Pretty spicy, so if you are a weenie better get something else. The salsa was super (we went through 3 batches). Joe had the shredded beef tacos. Brian sampled them and declared them the best tacos he’d ever had. He also enjoyed the fish tacos. And, most importantly after a long day of hiking, they had a great selection of microbrews on tap. We enjoyed the “double IPA.”
To celebrate our Memorial Day weekend we headed out for a hike to Ramona Falls (near Welches in the Mt Hood Forest). We’ve done this hike numerous times, but it had been probably 5 years. We needed Sam to be able to make it on his own two feet rather than on Brian’s back. The hike is pretty long…maybe 6 miles, but it’s beautiful from start to finish. The falls are amazing. This time around we had lots of extra challenges. First, the bridge was out. But determined hikers find a way (see the log crossing photos). And, we ran into some major snow drifts along the trail. Those of us in sneakers had to slip and slide with cold toes quite a bit. Windheims are tough though. At the end of the journey, all three kids gave it a thumbs up. I think Joe was the most enthusiastic and really seemed to love being out in the forest.
Click here to view some great shots of our hike to Ramona Falls
The Classic Soccer tryouts and debates on where to play are finally over! And it’s all good news!! Ben will be playing for Southside’s Lions and Joe will be playing for Newberg’s U11 Boys team. They are both very, very excited about their teams. They like the kids and they like the coaches. Nice going, boys 🙂
Now begins the intense juggling act of soccer practices and baseball. I really need a Star Trek transporter. Last night both Ben and Joe had games at Hopkins at the same time, so I was literally running back and forth to catch the action.
Ben’s team played in the Banks tournament this weekend. The boys went on a hitting spree and looked awesome in their 3rd game on Sunday. The whole scene made for some good photo opportunities.
Click here to view these pictures larger
Joe has always loved snakes. I remember him being very little, riding a Big Wheel, stopping and snapping up a snake in his bare hand. He must have been 3. This Joe with his latest catch/friend. As you can see, both the snake and Joe hammed it up for the camera.
Click here to view these pictures larger
I love growing things! I get so excited for April and May because I get to start in on my veggie garden. I just get giddy when I go to the garden centers and start finding new varieties of peppers and tomatoes. Then I start randomly grabbing seed packets. I always start out with a plan, but can’t resist adding a few extras once I get there. I’m totally out of control!
Last year, I put in a nice curved raised bed with a rock border that I copied from a magazine. I learned through that plan, that putting flowers in the garden is great for looks and attracting bees. It really was lovely. Unfortunately, it’s become very apparent that our garden spot it getting more and more shade. So, we decided to move to a sunnier location on the southside of our shop.
Brian built 4 new, wood-framed raised beds and I was able to still use 3 othersI already had nearby. And, then because I couldn’t resist some pumpkins, potatoes and a cool little sweet potato vine, I had to expand a few beds 🙂 I’m a nut, I know.
My raised beds are lined with newspaper and filled with 1 yard of blended topsoil from Valley Landscape. I’m growing 7 varieties of tomato (cherries, romas, big ones, heirlooms), 9 varieties of peppers (some hot, some sweet, no bell), zucchini, lemon cucumber, sweet peas, snap beans (bush), onions (yellow & red), potatoes (gold and red), lettuce, nasturtiums, chinese cabbage, basil, cilantro, chives, pumpkins (small and large) and sweet potatoes. I also have established strawberries, grapes, blueberries, apples and pears. And I added plums and cherries to the orchard this year. I grow mostly from starts. Items in italics are from seed.
I still need to add some flowers in addition to the nasturtiums and a “bug bath” to attract dragon flies and bees. All you need is a shallow bowl with some rocks for the bugs to land on and a little water. You do need to be sure to hose it out every 3 days or so to avoid mosquitoes.
I’ll be tracking how things are growing and take some pics. Stay tuned.
